


The Words of Alexander Marsh

by EndWinterJoy



Category: Original Work
Genre: Amnesia, Boarding School, Crushes, Diary/Journal, Mild Language, Multi, Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Relationship(s), Platonic Relationships, Slice of Life, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:21:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 4,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22567750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndWinterJoy/pseuds/EndWinterJoy
Summary: Alexander Marsh writes his woes and thoughts as the student of Oak View Academy. From his perspective, the days are boring and average. Until it's not.
Relationships: Alexander March & Monica Aston, Alexander Marsh & Edmond Callahan, Past Edmond Callahan/Monica Aston
Kudos: 1





	1. Sunday, 31/08/20XX

**Author's Note:**

> This supposes to be my weekly journal project for one semester, but I got carried away. English is not my first language, so please be kind :)

I bought this book as a gift for myself.

Why?

A couple weeks ago, I found out that I’ve been accepted to the prestigious school in Oak View town. Oak View Academy is a Victorian school that looks like it should be a castle, like Hogwarts. In fact, it really does look like Hogwarts.

I went to the market earlier. Moving my stuff to my dorm room really took a lot of energy. I’ve been going on at it since this morning and only went out late in the afternoon. Anyway, I went to the market to buy some snacks. The dorm has a cafeteria and a vending machine, which is _somehow_ empty.

Why?!

I couldn’t really complain much, though. Going to the market instead of glaring at an inanimate object is 100 times better. Those generic nut packs and nutrition bars can’t compete with this old town’s delicacies. I was a bit unsure because of how they look like at first. That one candy store has a type of sour candy that legit looks like eyeballs. I didn’t buy that one. I _did_ buy a small bag of mints that looks like flowers.

This is a new environment I’ll be living in for at least three years, or more. I don’t know, the pamphlet doesn’t explain much about the curriculum. I didn’t even know that I sent an application to this place. I’m pretty sure I didn’t.

Now, I’m here, in my dorm room, writing this horrendously-colored journal because my next-door neighbor decides to be an unpleasant shithead and plays some tacky 80s music like this is some sort of a club. I hate it. Both the music and my neighbor, I hate them. The student orientation starts early morning tomorrow and this person better pray I won’t wake up cranky or _else_.

That will be all for today. Please give me the patience to survive the night.

Please.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're wondering how the journal looks like, it's bright green. Really bright green. Just google "pandan chiffon cake" to get the idea.


	2. Monday, 1/09/20XX

What the hell.

This castle is much bigger than I thought. The hall itself is so big, it can house every student, teacher, and staff with so much room to spare. I didn’t realize that at first because the dormitory is on a separated wing, but even that on itself is big enough to be a modern-day school.

The orientation went without a hitch. The headmaster looks like he should be on the front page of a model magazine for truly stylish old people. His speech is standard, although it’s weird that he insisted we knock on the door before entering a room in this place, at any time, regardless of whether or not anyone is inside. Huh. Fine by me.

Anyway, we got to tour this place, but our guide only showed us the appropriate and accessible places for first-year students. Each year has its own section and all of us can only interact in the hall, the field, and the quad.

One of my fellow first-year tried to greet a second-year that wandered too close to the first-year corridor and she just bailed. I think it’s just my imagination, but she was glancing at me for a second there and mouthed something.

Maybe it really is my imagination. I didn’t get enough sleep last night.

While I’m on that topic, I met this guy who had been blasting that awful music. I didn’t know that it was him at first, but he just stands out so much.

First of all, he’s really tall. I’m about 99% sure he’s the tallest guy in our year. Secondly, he has long purple hair.

I kinda understand the “long hair” part, but why purple? Why does he have the characteristic of an anime character? Freaking unfair, that’s what it is.

Last but not least, he was sitting next to me at orientation.

I wanted to cry.

We made small talks, which had to be initiated by him because I was feeling inferior next to an absurd but fine specimen like him. And he had the audacity to say that he was craving tacky 80s disco music last night and searched it up on SoundCloud. The _audacity_. The worst part of it all is that he’s a good guy at heart and now I’m feeling guilty for wanting to beat him up.

So, I made a friend, apparently. His name is Edmond Callahan, or Ed, for short. I don’t know how somehow with such a classy 20th century name looks like _that_ , but I’m still reeling with the fact that I was wishing death to this good—no, _great_ guy. Oh my god.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine the headmaster looking like Paul Mason the fashion Santa. Also, Ed is inspired by Gakupo from Vocaloid.
> 
> On a side note, happy birthday to me~ yay :D


	3. Tuesday, 2/09/20XX

Nothing too eventful happened except for that one first-year that got to the infirmary. Then again, I heard some weird stuff about how that one happened.

We had homeroom to introduce our class’ homeroom teacher. Miss Windsor is really nice, but she so clumsy. She looks pretty young, so I don’t really blame her for that. Still, tripping on the door after that ominous slow knock? The tension was broke, though, so kudos for her.

It was _stifling_ in there. My little introduction with Ed was for nothing because we’re not even in the same class!

Un-freaking-believable.

At least I’m sitting next to the nice popular girl. I don’t know if that helps.

Anyway, at break time, there was a fuss in the infirmary. Someone fainted in the classroom and had to be taken there. The nurse was scolding him real hard about skipping breakfast and I feel bad for him. When I met up with Ed, he knew about the guy and just said that he hadn’t knocked.

I had no sweet clue on how to respond to that, so I just dragged him to the hall for lunch. Again, it still hasn’t settled well with me—we’re actually having meals in the hall like some kind of Hogwarts’ cheap knock-off. The only thing that’s different is that we have to pick our food in a tray and sit wherever we want.

That being said, I like the arrangement. It makes me feel like I’m living my nerdy dreams.

Those dreams flew out the window and into the farthest trash can in the premise when the popular girl asked if she could sit with us.

I am internally crying as I’m writing this.

Her name is Monica Aston and I know better than to trust someone with two first names. Is Aston a first name? I don’t think so. All this hate is getting my head foggy.

And why do I hate her so much? Is it because I haven’t moved on from that cursed incident? She was so nice to me in and out of class, which might be a sign that she’s cozying up to us before stabbing us with a freaking kni—

…

The tree outside my window spooked me. It’s such an old tree, and it’s right there in front of the dorm like some kind of… I don’t know, creepy stuff?

Ed’s words about that guy in the infirmary probably got to me more than I thought. I’m not a hardcore believer or even a skeptic, but I know about taboos and I believe a healthy amount of urban legend to satisfy my curiosity.

Maybe that guy just skipped breakfast. Maybe Ed just said that to scare me and he’s a bit weird like that.

Maybe it’s a sign that I shouldn’t be mean to Monica.

What the hell. That last one is a no. I don’t like her, at all, and I don’t think I ever will.

What’s wrong with that? Nana always said that I shouldn’t judge people without knowing more about them, but she also said that it’s on her if I ever got into a fight.

I miss her, and Mom and Dad. Maybe I’ll give them a call tomorrow or something. It’s getting late.


	4. Thursday, 4/09/20XX

What the hell. What the hell?

I can’t believe I did that. I’m gonna get detention and Miss Windsor will probably cry. She will, and then I have to drop out of school at seventeen. It’s Ed’s fault. If I have to go down, I’m bringing him with me.

Him and his crappy taste in music, and stupid smile, and even stupider curiosity.

I am _livid_. I’m pretty sure that was the groundskeeper. I mean, the only other old men in this place are either the teachers or the headmaster.

I’m only going to confess here—I’m scared.

I don’t get scared often, but I’m scared now. Just last night, I called everyone that I’m gonna get through this. I’m gonna get through this education system for the next three years or more and not drop out like before.

But what did I do?

Game over. Barely a week in Oak View and I’m already on the verge of my sanity.

Tomorrow. I’ll see if I can walk out of this academy with dignity. Until then, I can only wait. This is Ed’s fault, but I won’t be in a pinch if that cunning woman didn’t do anything.

Monica, you bitch.


	5. Friday, 5/09/20XX

Good news: No one noticed the craziness from the night before. Bad news: Monica can’t get off of Ed and is now including us in the popular group.

I don’t want this. I hate this.

Can I get rid of her permanently? Yes, I can.

Should I? No, maybe not.

Since I’m free from threats of extortion, I think it’s safe to write what caused my prior panic.

Last night, Ed had this _brilliant_ idea to venture the school grounds. After curfew. It should’ve been ringing in my mind that it’s not a brilliant idea after all, but my curiosity won over my common sense.

At first, it supposed to be only both of us, but then we stumbled upon Monica and her clique doing the same thing. She said that it was all a coincidence. I didn’t believe her and still don’t. It’s getting creepy to know that she has a stalkerish tendency.

Anyway, since a total of seven people was on and about when school is out and everything is dark, we had to be careful.

It was just like a second tour, really. We already saw pretty much everything in the first-year section. Because of that, Ed has another brilliant idea of sneaking into the second-year section like it didn’t cause some sort of mini heart attack on my part.

Even worse, I was the only one who didn’t like that suggestion!

Everyone else thought it was awesome and if Ed thought he could just smile ominously and be a freaking gentleman about my rejection, but looking like a kicked puppy to get what he wanted, he’s absolutely right.

I couldn’t help it. I’ve only known him for four days, but I am. Soft. For him.

Ed reminds me of Mr. Monocle—my late dog, by the way—and he had been nothing but kind to me. So, despite my great reluctance, we went to the second-year section.

It wasn’t any different from our section, but the lab was more advanced for good reasons. Ed wanted to explore deeper and maybe peek into the third-year section while we were at it. It was a big no for me and I told him so. Thankfully, he was very understanding and told everyone that we should go back.

I had been kinda holding my breath the whole night, so I was able to let it out.

Until Monica started speaking.

She went on about how we were already there, so why not? Ha-ha, she just couldn’t keep her mouth shut, huh?

I was _clearly_ not comfortable ever since we went to the second-year section. Her clique was definitely letting her know that it was late and we should go back. Ed had made it _clear_ that we shouldn’t go anywhere near the third-year section when I said so.

She didn’t listen and just… went.

On a side note, I have no idea about that last bit—Ed’s words. Why would he readily listen to me at that time when he could’ve listened from the start? I need to ask him about that someday.

Back to the whole mess, Ed, being the weird gentleman, chased after Monica. I told the others, who were honestly great people when Monica isn’t involved, to go back to the dorm while I chased after Ed and Monica.

They weren’t that far off, though. When I got to them, Ed pulled both of us to the nearest room because he heard footsteps. If he had pulled us to a normal room, I wouldn’t freak out as much as I did. But I was fate-to-face with a mummified corpse as soon as I was in.

It wasn’t the typical cartoon mummy either, but a real preserved corpse of an actual human with no wrapping.

We were in a room full of it.

Honest to god, I was having a panic attack at that time. I didn’t really remember much about what happened after. When I came to, I was already back in the first-year section.

Ed and Monica were out of breath, but I was fine. That’s the weird part.

I asked Ed about what just happened and that was when I saw the groundskeeper. He was just standing in the corridor, looking at us with a look that spelled “busted”.

I dragged Ed back to the dorm as fast as I can. Monica can just get busted for all I care; I’m confident in my acting to get out with a lighter punishment. I pushed Ed back to his room and went to mine to write the last entry.

According to the daily morning broadcast, none of us got busted, which is kinda relieving.

I can’t believe Monica can get away with it. Is she so popular that the teachers are on her side? On the first week? Maybe. Whatever. I was too busy thanking God and internally singing hymns to be as mad as before.

Just for today.


	6. Sunday, 7/09/20XX

I had so much stuff to do yesterday.

Well, not really. More like a lot of places to visit in this old town.

I had P.E. on Friday afternoon, so I was really tired. Ed just popped into my room to invite me to go sightseeing. Uh, hell yeah. I’ve only gone to the market last week because I was hungry. That’s a fixed foal and I went back, so now that I’m getting good meals, I won’t say no to him giving me a tour of this town.

I was wrong. Ed did bring a map, but he forgot about it and spent hours wandering around like two lost souls. That counts as a tour, so.

On the bright side, we found some awesome secret paths around town.

Bear in mind that the sightseeing started on Saturday morning, so no curfew is broken this time.

Honestly, that’s probably the first real time I got hours to spend with him without Monica hanging off of him like a parasite. She bought me a carton of milk at some point. What, was she telling me that I’m short? Are we having a passive-aggressive approach now?

I’m a perfectly average young man. I don’t need her telling me to drink some milk! She’s the one who needs some milk! She’s not taller than me!

Ugh. I need cookies.

So, around midday, I got pretty tired. We were in a footpath on the mountain that overlook the town and Ed suggested that we rest under the shades. I was reminded of that cursed night. Since there were only the two of us, I asked him about what happened during my black-out.

He was kinda surprised. He took a bit too long to answer, so I told him about the mummified corpses, the black-out, and the groundskeeper.

I’m pretty sure he was going through seven different stages of confusion and another three stages or… something.

He looked almost determined, maybe?

After I finished explaining, he had the gall to laugh like a cryptid. At this rate, I might as well call him a cryptid, like a second Mothman, but the one that’s causing troubles instead of warning about them. And he never answered!

He distracted me with snacks, which is so clever.

I let him off the hook that one time, but I won’t do the same next time!

Well, in any case, we were done exploring and raiding that one candy store by four, so we went back to the dorm. I had been feeling so good. Ed and I were joking and sharing the loot when Monica showed up.

She just showed up. I had believed that it was a nightmarish hallucination from the sugar, but her clique was there and they were giving me apologetic looks while Monica once again plastered herself against Ed. Coincidence, she said. I don’t fucking think so.

She invited Ed to go out with her and her clique on Sunday to a very stylish café somewhere. She didn’t bother to speak to me, which wasn’t that much of a shock. It’s like, she has a tunnel vision when Ed is around.

I must’ve looked pissed because he offered me to come.

No. Not in a million years.

That’s why I spent all day today lounging under the shades in the quad.

I saw the groundskeeper a few hours in and hoped that he wouldn’t talk to me. I definitely jinxed it because he went straight toward me. It wasn’t crowded, but I was enough to make is suspicious if I ran away, so I let him approach while holding my breath and the only thing he did was… pat my head.

He patted my head, told me that I reminded him of his grandson who always got into trouble, and left.

What.

I short circuited for a bit, not gonna lie.

What had that been about? I’m actually more scared of him now. I mean, I don’t have an overwhelming fear of him, but the way that fear was evoked is a bit weird now that I think about it.

When I first saw him, I thought that I was dead for sure. I can explain that one, no big deal.

But when he patted my head? It felt chilly? Like, I want to flinch away, but I couldn’t move. Is that how fear is supposed to be? I’ve never felt that kind of fear, but I’m pretty sure it is?

Like any other person, I ignored it.

I’m getting good at ignoring things over the course of the years. Sometimes, I ignore to the point of erasing it from my mind—completely accidental. I’ve learned my lesson on the first few times.

On a happier note, Ed came into my room with an ube roll cake after his group date. He thought that I’d appreciate a peace offering and if I were a lesser man, I wouldn’t take that peace offering for myself. Maybe offered some to him and all that.

But I am a lesser man and better believe that not a single crumb is spared.

I told him about the groundskeeper from earlier because he likes hearing ominous stuff like that. His cryptid side showed its head. He laughed and said that I’m interesting.

Thanks? Should I be concerned?


	7. Wednesday, 10/09/20XX

How cute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned this chapter to have colored words, but how do I do that???


	8. Friday, 12/09/20XX

Ed, you son of a bitch.

I’ve been sick these past few days and since Ed is my next-door neighbor, Miss Windsor asked him to check up on me after class and relay the materials I missed. I didn’t think he’d read my journal when I was sleeping! That’s pretty messed up.

Well, it’s not like I have anything to hide from him in the journal. I still gave him a pretty good scolding.

Really. Give a guy his privacy.

He did ask about a few things, including… uh, the _incident_. The reason why I hate Monica to the guts.

Honestly, I’m not ready for an in-depth analysis about my childhood trauma that might or might not cause a string of unfortunate events throughout my life. I mean, it happened back in grade school, but a kid’s mind can easily get messed up.

Ed was so chill about that, though. I’m glad to have a friend like him. We just met less than two weeks ago, but I’m glad I met him.

And what do you know, he can give good insights. Still a cryptid for the most part.

I finally got the answer to my pressing question, too, thank god.

It turns out that in my black-out, I was in a sort of trance. Ed said that I just went and left the room. He tried to follow me, but he couldn’t open the door. As if someone was holding it still in a vice grip, he said.

He had been debating to disregard the rules and break it down when I opened it easily. I was smiling.

I pulled him and Monica out of the room and told them to be fast before the bad side caught on. Then I started running like mad.

It’s so weird. I’ve heard about people sleepwalking and sleep-talking at the same time, but that’s just creepy. Ed also said that it felt really chilly when I opened that door to let them out. Like cold air seeping through his clothes.

_That_ is what I felt when the groundskeeper approached me!

I’m sure it felt like the temperature dropped instead of just goosebumps. Been feeling like that lately. I usually interpret it as a chilling type of hate toward Monica, but that’s not the case, huh? Dammit.

Speaking of Monica, Ed said that she genuinely wanted to get along with me. She kept asking about how I felt when I was sick and offered to make me some soup. She had kinda ignoring me last Saturday because she knew I don’t like her and asked Ed for help.

In this case, he’s trying to coerce me with candies to hang out with Monica.

It’s not a good bribe to offer to someone who got sick recently, but I have a sweet tooth, so whatever. I accepted the bribe and promised to hang out with Monica next week.

Ugh. I really don’t want this, but Ed looked so _hopeful_.

What is that supposed to be?

If he’s hoping for a budding friendship between us, he better gives up because that ain’t happening.


	9. Sunday, 14/09/20XX

I can’t believe I’m writing this, but weekend with Monica is _not_ bad. I mean, it’s not the best. We definitely had a bad start, with the whole thing with her fans.

The most surprising this is that we’re a bit more similar that I thought.

First of all, we’re a sucker for sweet things. After the whole fiasco with her fans, Monica brought me to the café she visited with Ed before. I’ve been craving their roll cakes for a while, so it was a bonus.

Secondly, both of us had been hurt pretty badly by someone we were close to. In her case, it was her cousin. She heard from Ed that I’ve had a bad experience before and somehow deduced the general relationship of the perpetrator with me.

She’s smart. No wonder she’s the second in class.

Third, we hate cheesy romance stories and bad camera effect, which brings me to the problem at hand.

It turned out that Monica knew Ed from middle school, but he had to move away on the end of second year. Nevertheless, Ed still had his gentlemanly aura, so ladies were crushing on him. Still are. Monica isn’t an exception. Sure, it’s pissing me off that she’s flaunting her crush, but then she got to the part that bothered her _and_ me.

She and Ed used to date. They dated for a few months until Ed moved away—without telling her. And yet, he doesn’t know her. At all. He doesn’t even remember most of his school days before this academy.

That’s the weirdest thing ‘ve heard all week. Maybe he got amnesia or something, I don’t know. But if he really doesn’t remember anything about his school days, it makes sense.

He avoids answering some of my questions, particularly about his middle school.

I do know that he moved around a lot because of his parents’ jobs, though.

Monica had been surprised to see Ed at orientation, and she had approached him. Yet, he had breezed past her like she was nothing but a speck of dust in the universe. I actually felt _bad_ for her.

She thought that Ed was avoiding her, but then they shared a _shoujo manga_ moment where she forgot her handkerchief and Ed brought tit back to her. I have to say, Monica looked a bit _too_ lovestruck when she told me that. Then Ed left her before she had the chance to respond.

Am I a bad person for laughing at that?

I probably am, but the image is pretty hilarious.

That is to say, Monica has had pathetic results concerning her attempts to get Ed to remember their romantic few months together. It doesn’t help that she hates half-baked romance movies and only has the idealistic example of a couple already loving each other from the get go.

Then how did they end up together, you might ask?

Well, Ed was the one who asked her out.

I just…

_Huh_??

I felt betrayed. Dude. I want to bang my head against the wall or something.

What’s worse, Monica asked me if I could help her find out why Ed remembers nothing about his academic background and maybe get her back with him.

Yes and no. I want to know more about this newfound mystery, but I will never set anyone up with anyone.

By the end of the day, I think my view on Monica had changed a bit. I still don’t trust her, but at least I know that she’s not the spawn of Satan. She even promised to keep her fans away from trying to get into a fistfight with me.

That’s good, even though knocking that one guy unconscious this morning should be enough as a warning.


	10. Saturday, 20/09/20XX

Before I begin telling about what happened over the course of the week, I have to complain about the amount of assignments I’ve been working.

Like, really, my assignments back in middle school wasn’t _that_ bad. My source isn’t very reliable when my dark days are taken into account, but even _Monica_ looked like she was seconds away from crying when Miss Windsor gave us an extra assignment.

She told me that her middle school had been very demanding compared to most, but this is just nuts.

I think I’m starting to understand why the number of second-year students is cut pretty significantly compared to the admission last year.

This workload is for people who are diligent and able to sort their time, or those who can work under pressure.

I am _not_ either of them.

Why do you think I dropped out in middle school?

However, I am one of the people who can’t stop once they started writing. Just vomit out the words and everything is suddenly done four hours later. At midnight. When I have P.E. the next day.

Nice.

Well, at least not everything is hellbent on ripping your wrist muscle—although Monica and I are bonding over our sore wrists.

It’s still pretty surreal to me. I’ve actually been talking with Monica without any animosity. Holy crap. I might need to apologize to Ed and his defined wrist muscle. Seriously, he’s the only one who looks like he’s enjoying the whole torture. Might as well be a masochist. Or a sadist. I don’t know his preference and it’s alarming.

Speaking of that friend of mine, I’m sad to say that I haven’t had any real progress on finding out about his so-called amnesia. When I asked about it the first time, Ed was genuinely confused. That, or he’s a really good actor.

Hence, I bought an eBook about body language and learned the shit out of it.

That’s not a very good idea when I got a mountain of assignments no first-year—or _anyone_ , for that matter—should be subjected to, but if there’s something I’m good at, it’s committing to something.

I’ve been getting mixed results so far.

Sometimes, Ed looked like he really doesn’t know about his middle-school life. Other times, he looked pretty guarded.

Like he’s holding back.

I’ve caught him drifting off in a middle of saying something and then brushing it off like it never happened.

Interesting. I might need to learn more from that body language book. I’m actually pretty good at reading someone’s mood from the tone of their voice, but this is beyond that. This is actually pretty fun!

Ed’s constant diversion is _not_ fun, but hey, at least he’s not actively avoiding me.

On the other hand, I still have the assignments. Monica is going to visit my room tomorrow, so hopefully we can get some of them done at least before dinner. This is making my journal writing a bit hard to do, but I’ll try to sneak in some time. Maybe one entry a week.

**Author's Note:**

> I will try to update every week, but no promises because my schedule is packed for this semester.
> 
> Comments will be appreciated :) but knowing that people actually read this makes me happy enough, so thank you for everyone who takes their time to read :D


End file.
